September 30, 2010

If you have a food allergy to potatoes and/or corn have no fear. I love crisps. I love them so much that I am going to say it one more time just for emphasis: I LOVE crisps! For readers outside of Ireland and the UK I will translate my ravings: I LOVE potato chips!... Now, as I am sure you are aware, crisps are more than they once were. Recent trends have seen them made from luxury potatoes such as 'Jersey Royal', exorbitant flavours like 'Honey Roast Wiltshire Ham' or downright crazy flavours like 'American Hamburger' or even 'Cajun Squirrel'... But for the purposes of Survival Guide the most interesting trend which has been creeping into our crisp bags is crisps made out of alternative root vegetables other than potatoes.
I will always love the original (not to mention it's affordability) but when I was told that I should avoid potatoes because of a moderate food allergy (Tortilla chips -or nachos- were banned as well because corn was on my list too) my already educated taste buds took comfort in the crisps they had recently been frequenting. I had been indulging in Tyrrell's Root Vegetable crisps which are handmade with carrots, beetroot and parsnips instead of potatoes. These little crisps are spot on with their wholesome hearty flavour and gourmet packaging which fits perfectly into the new crisp generation. Marks & Spencers had branched out as well but their first attempt was uncharacteristically far from competition level with Tyrrell's. However, I am recently happy to report that they have fine tuned their attempt and are now offering 'Hand cooked Vegetable Crisps' made with parsnips, sweet potato and beetroot which are top notch and suit me even better due to the lack of carrot which was also listed as one of my allergens. The flavour of vegetable crisps is so rich and the slight variety of textures between the different vegetables make for a more intricate and 'full' snacking experience.
In addition to the above tasty potato free and corn free savoury treats LapSnacks has come onto my radar with their roasted broad bean selection, as pictured above. In my opinion, Lapsnacks cannot be eaten in the same quantity as vegetable crisps because the broad beans make for a heavier snack (note that the small bag contains 100g!) but it is none-the-less another genuine option for people with a food allergy or intolerance to potato and/or corn.

All of these, with the exception of the M&S crisps are available in health food shops and gourmet grocer's such as Nolan's Food Fare and Fallon & Byrne. Obviously the M&S variety are strictly limited to Marks and Spencer's food departments.

September 27, 2010

Down to Earth is probably the largest health food shop in Dublin. Centrally located on South Great Georges Street makes it convenient for most Dubliner's and especially handy for visitors and tourists with food allergy needs. However, it is the sheer range of products carried which makes Down to Earth a first choice for many. They have been in business for 28 years, starting out as a family run business in Malahide, and have kept up a wide variety of products in all health categories be it vitamins, minerals, cereals, milks, pastas, breads, snacks, spreads, detergents, cosmetics, aromatherapy... You could even describe it as a one stop shop if you were so inclined.
Down to Earth's major attributes are:

- largest selection of products available offering genuine choice in every category
- largest range of flours and grains in dublin
- dedicated area & assistant for natural cosmetics and aromatherapy
- online shopping available through www.myshops.ie

Their number one attribute, of course, is variety. If I want to see what's on the market in relation to i.e: sugar free spreads, dairy free milks or maybe wheat free cereals, I can almost be guaranteed a healthy selection of what's available in Down to Earth. The prices can be higher than their competitors on some products like flours and grains but likewise they can be cheaper on others such as oat cakes or snacks. The problem with determining price is that you have to factor in the city centre location and convenience of the service.
If you are just beginning a restricted diet based on food allergies I highly recommend stopping into Down To Earth to get a good feel for what choices you have for food substitutions and later, once you have settled into your new diet you can look for your new favourite products in shops closer to home or work. Likewise, if you are a visitor to Dublin and are looking for a product which you can get at home Down to Earth should be your first stop.

There are quite a few health food shops sprouting up in and around Dublin which, between them, stock a large variety of food allergy free products. This linked to the recent surge of food allergy awareness and likewise the development of more and more food-allergy friendly products makes shopping in Dublin with food allergies a much easier (and more pleasant!) task.
As much as I would love to list out my favourite shops, the cheapest shops or the most expensive I fear that it would not be a reliable list. The cheapest health food shop in vitamin and mineral supplements could be the most expensive in homeopathic remedies, The shop which stocks the most grain substitutes might have the worst selection of ready made breads and the shop with the widest variety of sweets and snack bars could easily be the shop with the smallest variety of pasta and milk substitutes. And of course location is a completely different kettle of fish! Instead I venture to give a 'free from bias' general review of the attributes of each location. This will hopefully lead you towards educated trips to the healthfood shop which best suits your personal requirements.

September 20, 2010

I try to keep upbeat about my food allergy restrictions and I try to not drool over my companions AMAZING dish of cheesy pasta and foccacia sandwiches while I nibble on a VERY basic salad... but sometimes it's hard.. and it will continue to be hard especially in the name of research for Survival Guide but that's the path I have chosen so i try to remind myself how healthy I'm being and how horrible I would feel if I ate that - what is that?- deep fried cheese done up in spinach parcels?? ... sigh... but in all honesty - it pays off.
However, a recent expedition got me thinking that perhaps when I come across a difficult restaurant which don't have many options to work your food allergies around that I should share my negative experience as well (from time to time) so you know what you getting into and can be prepared if you are not the one choosing the venue.

Beshoff's Traditional Fish & Chipschain throughout Dublin

From the time I first came to Dublin years and years ago I was informed that Beshoff's Traditional Fish & Chips was one of the best 'chippers' in town. Now, I have my own opinions about the best being Dino's in Terenure for chips and batter burgers, the Leo Burdock's chain for fresh cod and Aprile in Portobello for doner kebabs... but let's not even get into what food allergens are hiding away in those packets of evilness!
I have to admit that i have never actually tried Beshoff's. This is because I discovered very early on that all of their deep frying (which includes almost everything) is done in clarified butter. This of course means that even if you just try the seemingly safe chips that these are NOT dairy free and under no circumstances should a person with a food allergy to dairy indulge here.

Mayfield Deli & EateryTerenure Rd N, Dublin 6W

Recently I had been eyeing up Terenure's new Mayfield Deli & Eatery and was quite enthusiastic when the venue was suggested for a weekend brunch. The interior decoration is beautiful in that popular eclectic country garden fashion. The Parisian cafe songs in the background are perfect and the general atmosphere is completely uplifting. The menu also sounds lovely and there seemed to be one or two options which, with a bit of working around, had the potential to make a happy brunch for this food-allergy girl.
Unfortunately due to the square footage available, I discovered that the food is prepared off site making it difficult to customize the options on the menu. The salad was tasty no doubt. My food-allergy free (but vegetarian) companion's food was also very good so the verdict is that if the dish in question is naturally friendly according to your specific food allergies by all means indulge in the tastful beauty of Mayfield but don't count on making due with altered menu options.

September 16, 2010

As you probably know by now, the main purpose of Survival Guide is to sketch out a guide to living, shopping and dining in Dublin with Food Allergies. The goal is to help both local Dubliners, and visitors alike, be it new residents, day-trippers or foreign holidayers...
I've started by logging the restaurants and shops which clearly mark the allergy friendly foods and products that they offer. It is my greater goal to have a full guide which lists all the helpful and understanding businesses in Dublin which can and will cater to customers with food allergies..
Juice, on South Great Georges St is one of these places, which is usually the case with vegetarian establishments. When eating in a dedicated vegetarian restaurant vegan dishes are almost always a possibility which of course translates to dairy free and egg free! Soya, wheat and gluten can be a bit more tricky but it is well worth the effort because the wholefood quality is usually of a high standard and Juice is no exception to this rule. The interior is fine for lunch but I find it a little raw for evening meals. However, the menu is full and colourful and if you are vegan it's a great place to go with your mind at ease!
The menu is, of course, predominantly vegetarian but they cater to:
- vegetarian
- vegan
- dairy free
- egg free
- nut free
With 10-14 dishes marked as vegan between the different menus and with a bit of questioning it is very possible to get a meal to suit your own requirements. I personally recommend the Veg Fried Rice with tempeh. Another service on the Juice menu is the 'contains nuts' markings warning against 2-6 different dishes which contain nuts. This is always a blessing for nut allergy sufferers as their reactions are commonly severe.
Throwing decor to the wind I have to say that I am partial to eating anywhere that can offer a dairy free dessert and Juice offer at least three which are vegan (Orange Sorbet, Fruit Crumble and Soya Tofutti Ice Cream), not to mention a whole selection of Juices and Smoothies.
And last but not least, this being Ireland, it is important to mention that Juice also have a wine list with regular and organic varieties and the option of adding Rum to your smoothie which is nice because not everybody wants to restrict alcohol from their already limited diets!

September 14, 2010

Did you know that all of the sweet wrappers pictured here are free of at least one common food allergen? The majority of this selection can be found in health food stores but the amount of i.e. dairy free products available in Ireland are plentiful and you can almost always russle up something in even the smallest of shop if you need to.
I'm going to try to bring a bi-weekly assortment of allergy-free products to help widen your horizons when the nibbles need some soothing - but remember to keep an eye on the ingredients list because manufacturing practices can change at any given time and without any notice - but you probably already know that ...

nakd. bars*
There are four or more flavours and all are as healthy as a bar can get. Almost all health food shops and some gourmet grocers sell them and the general going price is about €1.50 for the smaller size. All of the nakd. range are raw wholefoods and advertise as cold-pressed, never baked with no added sugar or syrups AND they contribute to one of your five a day! There are nuts in all of the products but the three pictured bars (pecan pie, cashew cookie and ginger bread) do not contain peanuts as well as being:
- dairy free
- gluten free
- wheat free
- sugar free
- egg free
- soya free
- vegan
- vegetarian
- raw

Pandora Bell Nougat Bars**
Irish made and AMAZING! Stockists of the Pandora Bell line are selected The Butler's Pantry stores, Donnybrook Fair (Morehampton Rd & Baggot St), Fallon & Byrne (Exchequer St), Foodware Store (Malahide), Fresh The Good Food Markets (Grand Canal, Camden St & Smithfield), Gourmet Food Parlour (Grange, Swords & Dun Laoghaire), Kennedys (Fairview), Morton's of Ranelagh, Nolan's of Clontarf, The Gourmet Store (Rathgar), Weir Interiors (Lucan), and Wilde and Green (Milltown Rd).
Pandora Bell's Nougat bars are made according to a traditional Italian recipe and they really are the bees knees. Soft, creamy, rich and intricate. I was a huge nougat fan before I discovered my egg allergy (doh!) and when the easter bunny brought Pandora Bell to the house an amazing choir of angels opened the roof and shone light into the living room in a way that only food angels can do. There are four different flavours but I can personally vouch for the Honey and Hazelnut Nougat and the Coffee Nougat with Hazelnuts both in a Chocolate Coating. The bad news is that even heaven has an entry fee and its about €7.95 but there is a lot of bang for that buck!
- gluten free
- wheat free
- vegetarian
- no dairy ingredients but there is a 'may contain traces of milk protein & derivatives' warning.

Gold Coffee Beans
Available in some Holland & Barrett stores. When I brought these Gold Coffee Beans into work my Irish colleagues looked at me oddly. Some liked them, some didn't, some wouldn't try them. I didn't see anything strange about them because chocolate coated coffee beans are quite popular in North Amercia but i would advise a true love of coffee before indulging - my sister is a huge fan of both coffee and the chocolate coated beans. This Neal's Yard variety is quite pretty with a gold sparkly exterior and is:
- dairy free
- wheat free
- gluten free
- vegetarian

9 Bar Original*
These sturdy but sweet little bars, coming over from Wales are one of the more staple bars available on the Irish health food store track. Original, Organic, Nutty, Pumpkin and Flax are the five varieties available. They are basically a seed bar featuring hemp and are covered in a sweet carob topping (the pumpkin bar is the only one without carob). Most health food shops stock them and in addition to being free from preservatives and artificial colours they are:
- dairy free
- wheat free
- gluten free
- egg free
- yeast free
- chocolate free

Mulu Raw Chocolate*
As is the case with all raw chocolate, Mulu is pricey. For a 74g box you're looking at over €3 at the least but its one of the VERY few chocolates available which are dairy free AND soya free. (soya lecithin has become the bane of my life!). I'm not a huge fan of raw chocolate but I appreciate what they are offering and the Mulu Silk is
definitely a nice smooth texture in the mouth. The three varieties available are Silk, Dark and Dark with Raw Cacao Nibs and they can be found in the Nourish health food shops as well as Rathmines' Hopsack located in the Swan Centre.
- dairy free
- wheat free
- gluten free
- sugar free
- soya free
- egg free
- vegan
- vegetarian
- raw

Pulsin' Coffee Brownie
Once you can clear your preconceived notions of a traditional brownie you will be ready for the Pulsin' Coffee Brownie. Again, this is a raw product which seems to always mean expensive for the size but it's a genuine healthy sugar free option for those in the market. They are almost always in stock at the Good Earth (South Great George's St) and can be located in other health food shops around Dublin such as 'The Health Store' chain, Restore (Camden St), Nourish (Wicklow St), and gourmet shops Listons (Camden St) & Country Cellar (Dun Laoghaire). There are 7 varieties available. Not all have the same 'free from' list but all are raw, with no added sugar and non GM.
- dairy free
- gluten free
- wheat free
- soya free
- egg free
- sugar free
- vegetarian
- vegan
- raw

Oskri Jalow Bar
I'm not too sure how to pronounce any part of this one except for maybe 'bar' but other than that it is an au natural option. I found Oskri in Holland & Barrett but from what I can see they are yet to become popular in Ireland. The website contains the ingredients on all the products and you can easily see there are no hidden extras. Regarding sugar contents the usage is limited to Date Syrup, Rice Syrup, and in a very few occasions Honey and Molasses. The Oskri Jalow Bar that I tried was 'Almonds and Cranberries' and seriously, the ingredients list was: Chicory Root extract (inulin), Almonds, Cranberries, Rice Syrup, Amaranth, Buck Wheat and Pumpkin Seeds.
- dairy free
- wheat free
- gluten free
- egg free
- gluten
- vegan (except for the products containing honey)

Panda Licorice**
Panda Licorice has been a favourite since childhood. It has been my experience that you either like licorice or you hate it. Fortunately for my upbringing it was always in the love category right across the family. There are different flavours like original, cherry, lemon, mint and raspberry available but the original will always be the one with a place in my heart. Obviously I can't eat it any more since my food allergy test but the memories are there forever (twee!) and once I get over the first few months I will hopefully be able to reintroduce the wheat and gluten on a rotational basis. But thats enough about me, more about Panda: You can buy them in sticks, packs of sticks, bags of smaller pieces or in bags of candy coated licorice nibs. The recipe is fairly basic with no preservatives, artificial colours or flavourings. All the original flavour contains is Molasses Syrup, Wheat Flour, Licorice Extract and Aniseed Oil. They are affordable and available in Holland & Barretts, Tesco, Boots and Nourish stores at least!
p.s. check out the website because the music is too much fun :) http://www.pandalicorice.com/uk/
- dairy free
- egg free
- nut free
- vegetarian
- vegan

Ombar Superfood Chocolate
Another Organic and Raw option at a not so typically raw chocolate price is Ombar. They are a relatively new company coming from the UK. I tried the Cashew & Coconut which didn't really taste of coconut but it's an OK option if you are very restricted. So far I have only seen them in a few health food shops but considering their age on the market they will probably slowly appear in more shops given time.
- dairy free
- wheat freejavascript:void(0)
- gluten free
- soya free
- sugar free
- vegetarian
- vegan
- raw

* = good and tasty
** = best in the west! - or indeed ALL of Ireland ;)

September 13, 2010

The picture on the left is my rendition of the 'Millet Molasses Muffins' recipe found in the Allergy Proof Recipes for Kids cookbook. I have found them to be tasty enough to share as well as have for breakfast everyday this week!
The search for good allergy free recipes is a tough one. You might find a few that meet one or maybe two of your food allergy requirements but if you're like me and have multiple allergies and/or intolerances then the search can begin to feel next to impossible... I frequently go through books and sites getting depressed with an egg here, creme fraiche there, or onions onions onions in what seems like every savoury recipe in the world! Sometimes I even allow myself to fantasize about only being allergic to something like gluten and how 'easy' life would be then! ... HA!
Fact is that once you have food allergies and/or intolerances life is no longer 'easy' in the traditional sense. However, it canbemade easier than a lot of people are aware and a big part of my job is to pave that path ... but fact is is that the majority of recipes won't automatically suit your needs and you have to learn to put on your substitute glasses and become a keen searcher.
The unfortunate thing, for me at least, is that dedicated cookbooks to i.e: wheat free recipes seem to weigh heavily on other common allergens like milk and eggs in order to get the best taste. I don't blame them of course but it can make substituting difficult when the emphasis is on the substituted ingredient! These books serve well for education around the best product substitutes and quantities but they're not really suitable company for direct reference. In my opinion, the best book for people with multiple food allergies, is obviously those which cater to multiple food allergies.
Recently I fell upon a wonderful, and relatively new, book in our local library which specializes in recipes for children without a wide range of food allergens: Allergy Proof Recipes for Kids by Leslie Hammond and Lynne Marie Rominger. The great thing about a book designed around cooking for kids is that a lot of healthy and 'treat-type' foods will be covered in the aim of providing a healthy diet while not denying the child - a perfect balance for adults too, me thinks! Allergy Proof Recipes for Kids is a wonderful little find because all the recipes inside are:

and many more are vegetarian and vegan too. There are a couple of curious or awkward things about the recipes,as always. The book is advertised as 'Low in Sugar' which I sincerely doubt. You could easily halve the sugar content in most of the recipes (esp. in the 'Chewy Granola Bars', 'Vanilla White Cake' and the 'Awesome Fluffy Lemon Blueberry Muffins' which are truly awesome but more suitable for a dessert if sugar levels are being retained). Outside of the sugar curiosity the primary awkwardness is that the book is American and things like arrowroot starch or soya free chocolate chips are not as readily available in Ireland, or at least not at overly affordable prices and sadly, the ice cream or yoghurt dishes are a bit out of reach as well because to date I have not been able to source Rice Dream ice cream in our emerald isle. I remember from my Canadian upbringing that Rice Dream ice cream is quite a tasty substitute. It's not as creamy as its soya cousins but its SO much more refreshing and obviously its soya free!
Outside of these minor quibbles Allergy Proof Recipes for Kids is a great find and an ideal option for purchase if you are in the market for a new cookbook. With a few alterations, if sugar is a concern for you, the sweets in this book are spot on and regarding savoury there are many options and ideas. I particularly like the 'Mixed Veggie Hash' with leeks instead of onions (only because I have to), and for the mix I chose butternut squash, zucchini and sweet potato to hit that hankering spot - although I do put in a bit more oil than is required, or indeed recommended, but that is only because I'm bold when it comes to fat content...
Something that i didn't say earlier that also deserves an honourable mention is that in the margins of Allergy Proof Recipes for Kids is a fountain of information about hidden allergens like corn in icing sugar, or great substitution ideas like flax instead of eggs! As I said, I loaned the book from my local public library with the intention of copying out one or two recipes but I have found that I will have to purchase my own copy because there are just too many recipes that I want and so much reference ideas and information that I would like on hand as a food-allergy home-cook.

September 11, 2010

Blazing Salads has become a household name among the food allergy and general health-food population in Dublin. This may seem strange for such a 'seemingly' small enterprise but Blazing Salads' home-base is literally packed out everyday. People flock to the city centre deli for their take-away salads, soups, breads, sweets and savouries as well as a small selection of ice creams (dairy free Booja Booja!) chocolates, cereal bars and snacks from different manufacturers. In addition to the fresh food deli they have frozen ready-meals available, an off location bakery that produces a variety of organic, yeast free breads which are sold in over 20 locations, a successful cookbook and a catering service.

Blazing Salads is primarily a wholefood, sugar free, yeast free vegetarian deli but the cream of their practice, in my food allergy influenced opinion, is that they list the ingredients on everything and mark each item according to it being:

In 2005 one of the Blazing Salads proprietors, Pamela Fitzmaurice, won the Dublin Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award and since then it has been boom-time for their family run business . Although there is only one Blazing Salads location, which is definitely challenged by its square footage, the good news is in addition to their breads, the salads are also now available at five different Dublin locations:

September 8, 2010

When I look at these Walnut Praline Squares on the table I can't believe that they are free of any food allergen. When I taste these Walnut Praline Squares I REALLY can't believe that they are free of any food allergen! They are perfect and really there is little to say other than make them, share them and enjoy them because the amazing truth is that these little squares of grace are:

These are not a treat to be tucked away and considered a substitute - these are the real thing!
If you can have coffee then by all means give yourself a treat this sunday... If you need an occasion beware that Christmas is too far away so I recommend a celebration of food allergy friendly baking! (I however, had them on my birthday!) But whatever the excuse, you NEED to try these!

For the base mix Flour, Oats and Icing Sugar together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Rub or cut margarine into mixture until consistency is crumbly or mealy. Press mixture into bottom of greased 9" square pan.
For the topping melt margarine in a small saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir continuously until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in the nuts and spread quickly over the unbaked base.
Bake in a preheated oven at 325F(160C) for 25 minutes or until topping is bubbly.
Cool before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

For other food allergy friendly recipes please see the 'Culinary Creations' page located under the title bar.

September 2, 2010

In today's world, especially if you have food allergies, you probably (and rightly) think of fast food as a bag of E numbers and a mine field of hidden allergens with more mines than safe ground. I can't even decide which food allergy this is most relevant to - wheat, gluten ... sugar!? Unfortunately, despite this knowledge, the lure of the take-away is strong but luckily Dublin's Bombay Pantry can ease our troubled cravings.
The Bombay Pantry is a beacon of purity in a take-away bag. Serving an array of Indian dishes from different parts of India they pride themselves on great taste and purity of ingredients. Their spices are freshly ground every day and each dish is made from scratch on their premises. This, of course means that the staff have full access to the ingredients when questioned. In addition to all this wonderful practice the best part is that all of the menu except the samosas, breads and fish cakes are Wheat and Gluten free and there are even 3 main course options and 6 side dish options which can be prepared vegan upon request AND any dish containing nuts is labelled accordingly! If thats not enough, they have recently added a mango sorbet to the menu that accommodates all of the above mentioned allergens for dessert! Now that's a quality take-away.
Conveniently, the Bombay Pantry have recently branched out and are now supplying shops with ready-meals which can be found in the refrigerated sections for true convenience! Please see their website for a full list of suppliers.